Pan American Games 2023: Mexico's Nuria Diosadado and Joana Jimenez take artistic swimming duet gold and secure Olympic quota
Mexico wedged a near 23-point-gap between silver and gold to obtain their spot in Paris
Artistic Swimming
Team Mexico's Nuria Diosadado and Joana Jimenez secured artistic swimming's first Olympic quota of the of the 2023 Pan American Games to the tune of the stadium chanting "Mexico! Mexico! Mexico"
It was near silent as the stadium anxiously awaited the score that would determine if the Mexicans had pulled out a good enough routine to top Team USA and secure their spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
"Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!" erupted in the crowd as upwards of 500 people cheered and chanted after the two pulled off a seemingly perfect duet in the Centro Acuático.
Their lines were clean, choreography beautiful, and they captured the audience with a powerful soundtrack.
The score was announced, the audience cheered, and Jimenez collapsed onto the floor.
Not only had they topped Team USA's score of 212.8292, but they wedged a huge 23-point-gap between gold and silver with a score of 235.7875.
"I get goosebumps when I remember that moment [of winning the gold medal]," Jimenez told Olympics.com in Spanish.
"I didn't even turn around to see the screen. The only thing I was thinking about was that we didn't have basemarks, but it was an indescribable feeling. I wanted to cry, I did cry."
Laura Miccuci and Gabriela Regly of Brasil compete in artistic swimming duet free routine, during the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games at the Aquatic Center of the National Stadium, on November 2 in Santiago, Chile.
Diosadado and** Jimenez** stood proudly on top of the podium saluting their flag as it was raised between the United States' and Brazil's.
Team USA's Megumi Field and Ruby Remati took the silver, followed by Brazil's Laura Miccuci and Gabriela Regly Silva*,* who took bronze with a score of 191.9604.
NOCs still have one more opportunity to secure an artistic swimming spot from Santiago 2023 by taking gold in the team acrobatic final. If that team is Mexico, the quota from the duets will fall to Team USA.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
Artistic Swimming duets results from the 2023 Pan American Games
- MEX: Nuria Diosadado and Joana Jimenez (235.7875)
- USA: Megumi Field and Ruby Remati (212.8292)
- BRA: Laura Miccuci and Gabriela Silva (191.9604)
- CAN: Audrey Lamothe and Olena Verbinska (163.6458)
- COL: Melisa Ceballos and Estefania Roa Bernal (160.2125)
- CHI: Soledad García and Trinidad García (156.3396)
- URU: Agustina Medina and Lucia Ververis (154.1938)
- CUB: Garbiela Alpajón and Dayaris Varona (134.3708)
- ESA: Cesia Castaneda and Grecia Mendoza (122.8563)
- CRC: Andrea Maroto and Raquel Zuñiga (109.4188)
- ARG: Tiziana Bonucci and Liusina Caussi (92.9854)